Power transmission



Feb. 13,1923. I 1,445,216

, c. HORTON POWER TRANSMISS ION Filed Nov. 4, 1919 4' sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 13, .1923. 1,%5,216-

- C. HORTON POWER TRANSMIS S ION Fil ed Nov. 4, 1919 4 sheets-sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,216

c. HORTON POWER TRANSMISSION Filed Nov. 4, 1919 4 sheets-Sheet 5 gw'lfentoy i I I Feb. 13, 1923.

C. HORTON POWER TRANSMISSION 4, 1919 4 Sheets-sheet 4 Filed Nvov.

i ii: m I.

Patented Feb. 13, 11923..

entree stares I PATENT CHARLES HORTON, OF RIDGEFIELD PARK, NEW JERSEY.

POWER TRANSMISSION.

Application fiia November4, 1919.

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, andaresident of Ridgefield Park, in the county of Bergen and'State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Tra-nsmissions,of which the following is a Specification.

the improvesuch away as to have under perfect control that it was; explained in said the speed of the part driven in relation to the speed of the prime mover without any appreciable loss of power; in other words, to obtain increased torque in combination with decreased speed at the driven mechanism, with high efficiency. According to the'invention of said copending application, the above purpose is accomplished by'taking the powerfrom the prime mover and dividing this power into two equal parts, conveniently by means of some form of differential, passing on one part to the driven mechanism, and returning the other part of the power through a controlled device or devices to the prime mover to be absorbed by the latter, before the differential is again reached, so as to appeareventually also at the driven mechanism. By prime mover, a convenient term, therewas meant in that application, and there is meant here, any driving means, as a line or counter shaft, a crank shaft of a reciprocating engine, or the like.

It was explained further in said copending application, in connection with the explanation of the meaning of the word dif ferential as used therein indescribing conceptions and analyses fundamental to the invention there disclosed, that such-differential need not necessarily be a mechanical dif= ferential of the c ogged-wheel type, such as a planetary gear-set. In brief, it may be said copending aptrue differenplication that to constitute a therein, there ti'al, as such term was used and some of the claims purpose of the invention is to pro- Serial No. 335,719.

need only be present a machine or apparatus for doing work characterized by means admitting of an input of the power at a single point and a simultaneous power at two other points, with one power component, as torque or speed, variable at one of the last mentioned two points, thereby to vary a component, and hence both components, of the power delivered at the other of said two points.

delivery of the v These conceptions and distinctions adhere here also.

According closed, to carry out the. above conception, the compressed air is applied mechanically to the crank-shaft of the engine, either by way of a reciprocating or other air motor mechanically coupled to the crank-shaft of the engine, or by Way of the engine cylinders themselves, with the engine cylinders in the latter case acting as power cylinders on the admission andsolely as the result of .a charge of compressed air, and with the times of admission of compressed properly synchronized to agree with the cycle according to, which the engine is operated,'as the Well known two or four-cycle.

to the construction herein disair charges It is thus seen that a power-generating appliance is employed in connection with the control of the fraction of the power issuing from thev transmission at said rotary part. Such appliance, in the construction just described, would be .the air compresser mentioned. It will be clear that this air compresser, while adapted to function to control the speed of said rotary part and consequently the speed of the Wlorkshaft such a control by an adjustablejvalve or the like to control the backpressure on the compresser) is a power-generating appliance, not in the sense of course that it creates more power than is delivered to it in operating it fromsaid rotary part, but in driven by said rotary part to serve a highly useful purpose, it is functioning as a 'powerthese three expressions, powergenerating.

appliance, power-developing appliance,

the sense thatwhile beingv being obtained, for example, i

and power-delivering appliance? are herein employed synonymously.

The invention will be more clearly under- 1 stood from the following description, when taken 1n connectlon with theaccompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodi ments.

1in thesedrawings, j Fig. .1" isa side elevation of oneembodi 'ment; Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section thereofftaken through the crank-shaft conte'r line; 1

Fig. 3 is a." transverse vertical section, taken on 'thenline 3--3 of Fig.2;

' Fig. 4 is a transverse vert'cal section-taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2';

Fig.5 is a transverse verticalsection,taken I on the line 5.5 of Fig.-.2;

. ation, but showing another pump located between the enginecylinders 8, both at the upper Fig. 6 is a sectional detail View, taken .on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4:; i

Fi 7 is a view similar to Fig.6, taken on structure having included therein an internal combustionengme, a differential gear-set installed in a fiy-wheel, a three-cylinder air-- and the fly-wheel, a compressed air tank above the air pump, and an air motor incorporated in the internal'combustion engine.

In said Figs; 1 to 7, inclusive, the usual gas cylinders areindicated 'atg8, thefusual gas pistons at 9, and the crank-shaft. at 10. Crank-shaft 10, as shown best in;

Fig. 2, is prolonged to the left. be-

"- Shaft 12 is loose in a as a straight shaft 12.

vond a bearing .10 V

sleeve 11... The engine shaft, that is the straight shaft 12, has fixedly mounted thereon a rotary part 13, which *rotary part constitutes oneof the four characteristic parts of aplanetary ,gear-set here -mounted Within the en 7 he fly-Wheel 14..

Fivotally mounted on this rotary member 13 are three planetary gears 15 (compare Fig.

4); which planetary gears constitute the second characteristic element .of the planetary gear-set; Sleeve 11' which loosely surrounds straight shaft12 has fixedly mounted thereon an internal gear 16, which gear 16 constitutes the third characteristic element of the differential; this gear 16 being'fixed inside fly-wheel 14., which isholl'ow' and bolted to sleeve'll as indicated at 14. To the left ofthe' intermediate-conical part of the shaft 12, on which conical part ofsaid shaft the precession member 13 is fixed, shaft 12 is prolonged to provide a reduced cylindrical portion at its extreme left end and looselyv mounted on this last mentioned part of shaft 12 is a flanged sleevepart 18 for connection to the automobilespropeller shaft; part 18 motor cylinders '27 byway 7, inclusive, .the'

mile

. tries 19 for actuating pistons 20 of the air Thisair compresses air whenever the sleeve 11 turns.'[ The an to becompressedenters through the ports 21 (compare'Figs. 41,

- 6 and 7)- ,22 (see also 22 being provided for each of the pistons of the air pump. The compressed air from. pas sages 22 enters a common-passage 23', whence 1 the compressed air passes valve-24L andthrough a passage25 to an air intake manifold 26 communicating [with air of arotary-timing valve 28 serving all of theair motorfcyl inders in properly timed sequence. The pas stages 23 and 25 on the control valve 24 are most clearly shown in Fig. 6 and'the manigi and isforced up throughpassages' Fig. 5), one of such' assages beyond a control fold 26' androtary valve' 28 are most clea -1'li}? shown in Fig. 3. The air motor cylinders-,

1 assliown most clearly in 7 arranged below the gas cylinders 8; these air .the bot- Figs. 2 and .3, are

motor cylinders being substantially annular the gas pis ea it will be seen that control valve-24 to enter the passage 25 to go to the air'motor cylinders as just described; since some of this air also enters a passage 25? leadingto an engine-starting valve 30. :Comp-ressed air from the air pump thus enters passage 25Puntil an airstorage I tanl: 29 isfull it of course being clear that when such tank is toa' predetermined extent the back pressure will be such as to cause all the compressed air in passage 23to pass beyondcontrol valve/2 1' into jpassage 25 for feed into'the airfmotor Icylinders. f Comparing Figs. 1, ,2, 4 and 6, itQwi'll be seen that such air as is admitted asjust describedto tank 29 passes beyond valves. 30 through a passage 31 in a casting'32.

The exhaust from the air motor cylinders 27 is controlled by a rotary timing valve 33, similar to valve 28, as shown in Fig. 3; Both the valves 28 and 33 are driven from the crank-shaft to the gas engine, as are the usual have valve stems 35 which are actuated by a proper cam shaft 36, as shownjn Fig. 5,

carrying a gear 37 driven by a gear, 38 on by operatlng a rod-39, sothat air from the he .parts above described gas engine valves. The pump valves .20 valve 24 as seen in Fig. ,6 is.

passage 25 and thence tank may pass into the supporting the into the air motor cylinders,

engine; whereupon the check valve 30 is;

tripped by operating a rod 40. These p crating rods 39 and 40 are shown in Fig. 1, the valves 24 and 30 being arranged, re-

spectively, in housings 41 and 42. Then, as soon as the engine starts, the control valve '24 is returned to the position shown in F ig.

the enginecrank-shaft is utilizing entire,

.power to walk planetary gears idly relative to sun gear 17). Next, the control clockwise, restricting the air passage 25, and offering resistance to the action of the'air pump cylinders. As a consequence, the precessionmember 13 of Fig. 2 reduces its speed, and the-car is driven at low; and as this valve 24 is further turned toward the position of greatest constriction relative to passage 25, the ratio proceeds ,toward high, when the air pump is running at its slowest speed. i If it is desired to run the enginefree, without using the air motor 24 may be set 'so that the passage 23 of. Fig. 6 leads to an opening 37 communicating with the atmosphere; and if it is desired quickly to fill the tank 29 when it is empty, the valve 24 may be set to close entirely the passage .25, so that all air from the .pump cylinders passes tothe tank. I 1

It will be seen, first, thatthe air pump cylinders are employed inconnection with the differential to incorporate here within the engine itself an infinitesimally variable speed controlled transmission relative to the propeller shaft connection 18; and. second, that due to the'conserving and looping back of the power generated or developed or delivered at the air pump during the functioning of the latter for speed control, the new engine may be run at constantly decreasing speedswithan increased torque at each decrease of nection 18, and with high efiiciency at all speeds. V v Referring to-Figs. 8 and 9, there is shown what is believed to be a very desirable ar- -rangement of I motor pistons in a construction such as that shown in -1 to 7 inclusive, where such air, motor pistons are built into watmaybe termed the engine proper. Here 43 indicates a gas piston and 44 indicates a sleeve having an air motor piston 45 integral there- 'With. Within thissleeve 44,-the gas piston 43slides;' and the sleeve 44 itself slides cylinders, the valve speed at the propeller shaft con-' the gas pistons and the air rotated counterfrom the compressed the air motor pistons;

against the cylinder wall, as does also the gas piston carries air motor piston 45. Each a single central piston rod 46 and each sleeve and air motor piston carries a pair of piston rods 47. In order properly to time the sliding movements of the.'pistons and sleeves,

the engine crank-shaft 48 is of the composite type and is provided with main cranks for the rods '46 and minor '47 suitably designed for and appropriate positions in the composite cycle. One advantage of this mode of construction is the use of oiling by the usual -splash system. Another point is that all the wear of the sliding parts within the cylinders can be made to occur outhe sleeves 43, which are easily replaced, thus saving recomparative throw boring. Each gas piston has a long stroke,- motorpiston has a and its associated air shorter stroke. which arrangement is 'believed to-bedesirable to get the best results a chargesacting on gig in such situation,

another advantage is the fact that the stroke -'of any one sliding part on any other sliding part in the engine cylinder is short and therefore wear is minimized.

Iclaim:

1. In an internalicombustion engine including a differential gear sethaving one of the four characteristic elements of said gear set opera'tively connected to the engine shaft and having another of said elements adapted to be connected to a: workshaft, the combination of an air-compressing means of the piston and cylinder type operatively connected to and adapted to be driven by anotherof said elements motor, for confining the-air thereby compressed and applying the same to. the engine shaft at a point ahead of the differential to torque .at that'instant being delivered to said shaft from the explosion cylindersof the engine; said compressing'means including a tubular shaft and operative connections between said shaft and a piston of the air compressing means. and said tubular shaft loosely sleeving a length of a crank shaft of the engine. W

2. The engine defined in claim 1, wherein said operative'connection includes an eccentric fixed onthe tubular shaftand operatively compressing means. a

3. The engine defined in claim 1, wherein said operative connection includes aneccentric fixed on the tubularshaft and opera"- tively'connectedto the piston of the air-compressing means," and wherein the first inen- .gioned one of the four characteristic elements of said gear set is operativelymoun'ted for rotation at a speed'ratio fixed relative to the crank shaft of the engine and the second mentioned one of said elements is cranks for the rodsand means, including an airconnected to the piston of the air-.

impose a torque thereto additional to the opera-lively mounted for rotation at a fined described and the crank shaft of the engine speed ratio relative to the tubular shaft.

4. The engine defined in claim 1, Wherein a cylinder of the air motor and a cylinder of the engine are arranged "one above the other with the lower cylinder of greater. diameter than. the upper cylinder. wherein the piston working in the lower cylinder is tubular from top .to bottom and is oi" different; external. diamelers at its top and bottom so that its upper external pol tion is in sliding contact with .the upper cylinder while lower external portion is in sliding contact with ishe lower cylinder during operation of she engine, and wherein the piston for the upper cylinder is in sliding Contact with the internal wall of the upper cylinders piston dnringeoperation of the engine, and wherein operative connections v are provided between the "two pistons jnss' I that'its upper external portion 15 in sliding contact with.- r-he upper cylinder While its lowerexternal portion isin sliding contact with the lower cylinder during operation of the engine, and wherein the piston for the upper cylinder is in sliding Contact with the internal wall of the upper cylinders piston during operation oft-he engine, and wherein operative connections are provided be tween the fiwo pistons gust described and the crank shaft orthe engine to give said-pistons simultaneously strokes of different lengths, and wherein said operative connections are so designed and arranged as to give the piston for the shorter stroke.

6. The engine definedin claim 1, wherein a cylinder of the air motor anda cylinder of the engine are arranged one above the other with the lower'cylinder of greater diameter lower cylinder the er weenie than the upper cylinder and wherein the piston working in the lower cylinder is in hiilar from top to hotcorn and is of different external diameters at its top and bottom so that its upper external portion is in sliding contact with the upper cylinder while its lower external portion is in sliding con tact with the lower cylinderduring operation v or" the engine andwvherein the piston for the upper cylinder is in sliding contact with the internal wall of the upper cylinders piston during operation of the engine and where,

inoperative connections are provided heiween the two pistons just described and; the crank shaft of the engine to give said pistons simultaneously strokes of difi'ereni; lengths, and wherein said operative con nections are so designed and arranged as to give the piston for the lower cylinder the shorter slrolre, and wherein the piston for the upper cylinder is an explosion piston of the engine. 7., In a combined internal-combustion and fluid motor having a single crank shaft, the combination of explosion pistons connected to said crank shale, fluid operated pistons adjacent to said explosion pistons, fluid compressing pistons,"a differential gear set havingone element connected to said crank shaft, and a rotatable sleeve loose on said crankshaft andconnected to another. ele ment of said differential, said sleeve having eccentrics fixed thereonoperative'ly con nected to said fluid compressing pistons.

8. The motor defined in claim 7, wherein said differential gear set includes a fly-wheel for the motor. v v 9. The motor defined in claim 7, wherein there is provided a fluid reservoir co0perating' with said. fluid compressing pistons and said fluid operated pistons.

10;. The motor defined in claim 7, wherein a fluid reservoir and a valve means are provided for controlling'the flow of liquid be tween said fluid compressing pistons and said fluid operated pistons. 4

Signed at New York inthe county oi. New York and State of New York this 30th day of .Uctober A. D. 1919.

CHARLES noarou. 

